Election 08: Early voting kicks off
Election 2008 has arrived. Even though there hasn't been a single presidential debate yet, thousands of voters will start casting their ballots this week as early voting kicks off in several states. USA Today reports:
Residents of Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia are among the first in the nation eligible to vote in person, as well as by mail. During the next few weeks, at least 34 states and the District of Columbia will allow early in-person voting for Nov. 4 elections.
Early voting has completely changed the dynamic of campaigns. As one GOP strategist says in the story, what used to be a 72-hour voter turnout program is now "a 720 hour program."
This is especially true this year, as election officials -- anticipating huge turnout -- are pushing early voting to prevent long lines and other pressures on November 4:
In Georgia, where voting begins today, Secretary of State Karen Handel has urged voters to cast ballots early and expects about 1 million to do so - 25% of the electorate. "We don't want voters to have to wait in line on Election Day," she says.
A couple of counties in Virginia and Kentucky allowed voting late last week. On Friday, 244 people voted in Fairfax County, Va. A day earlier, 96 people kicked off the process in Louisville, despite widespread power outages caused by Hurricane Ike.
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Chris Kromm
Chris Kromm is executive director of the Institute for Southern Studies and publisher of the Institute's online magazine, Facing South.